Recent observations with dust detectors on board the interplanetary spacecraft Ulysses and Galileo have recorded a substantial flux of large interstellar grains with radii between 0.25 and 2.0 μm entering the solar system from the local interstellar cloud. The most commonly used interstellar grain size distribution is characterized by a a power law in grain radii a, and extends to a maximum gra...

In the short crack regime of the fatigue process, grain boundaries in steels are barriers against crack growth. In this paper, we use: (1) a method involving crack density; and (2) a method of dimensional analysis, to evaluate the effects of grain size and grain-boundary resistance on short crack behaviour and fatigue life. The results show that the fatigue life increases with a decrease in gra...

Genotypic variation in ear morphology is linked to differences in photosynthetic potential to influence grain yield in winter cereals. Awns contribute to photosynthesis, particularly under water-limited conditions when canopy assimilation is restricted. We assessed performance of up to 45 backcross-derived, awned-awnletted NILs representing four diverse genetic backgrounds in 25 irrigated or ra...

In this paper the influence of microstructure on crack initiation stress and ultimate strength is investigated using results and analysis of 32 triaxial compression tests performed on cylindrical cores of dolomite samples which exhibit a wide range of grain sizes and mosaic textures. All tests were performed at a constant strain rate, under confining pressures between 0 to 40 MPa. The predictiv...

Median grain sizes on riverbeds range from boulders in uplands to silt in lowlands; however, rivers with ~1–5mm diameter bed sediment are rare. This grain size gap also marks an abrupt transition between graveland sand-bedded reaches that is unlike any other part of the fluvial network. Abrupt gravel-sand transitions have been attributed to rapid breakdown or rapid transport of fine gravel, or ...